Human Trafficking in Mississippi

Abstract or Introduction

Human trafficking is a major issue globally, but one that appears very difficult to grasp and even more difficult to bring under control. Within the United States, as in many other nations, it is a multi-dimensional concern, socially, politically and economically. On the extremes, there are those nations from which large numbers of people depart, while on the other end of the spectrum, there are those nations a large number of people choose as an ultimate destination. The volume of people trafficked annually is large, but sources have not agreed on the numbers involved. According to the Polaris Project, 20.9 million people are trafficked annually, of which they estimate fifty-five percent are women and girls. Deshpande’s research estimated the number trafficked to be approximately 800,000 people annually across international borders and, of these about 80% are women or girls. Rieger estimates between 700,000 and 2,000,000 are trafficked each year with 45,000 to 50,000 women and children trafficked into the United States